Are You Getting Away With Bad Driving Habits?

Each day an average of 4 people lose their lives and another 90 are seriously injured on Australian roads. Despite warnings about the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, using mobile phones or speeding, people still think they can get away with it when no-one is watching. Drivers need to be aware that it’s a recipe for disaster.

Take this scenario for example. You’re driving and hear the message tone go off on your mobile. Instead of ignoring it you glance over to it and read the text which says, ”we need milk”. Hey, we all get stuff like this so it’s not that much of stretch of the imagination. Out of nowhere a pedestrian or another car suddenly appears in front of you. Bang! You’ve been distracted by your “urgent” text message and never saw them coming.

Even though you had no time to break and your car collided with them at full speed, the individual or driver of the other car survives. You may have seriously injured yourself in the process. After weeks in hospital the other person is finally released with severe brain damage. They won’t recover and their family will need to provide special care for them for the rest of their lives. Ok, tell me, how do you live with that?

When people reach for their phones that’s exactly the risk they are taking. I know for a fact that I don’t want to live with those types of consequences hanging over me. No call or text is worth putting myself in that position. It’s not an accident either. Drivers intentionally distracted themselves and therefore it should be criminal negligence. Just like if they seriously injure or kill others whilst driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, excessive speed or turn public roads into personal playgrounds.

I’m not sorry if I sound harsh. Thousands of people still think they are perfectly justified doing this on our roads as long as they can get away with it. They need a reality check and walk into a rehabilitation center and see first-hand the impact these types of behaviors have had on other people. Many need to start from scratch learning how to walk and talk again. If people witnessed this reality they’d hopefully rethink just how much they have “gotten away with”!

I live in the country and I see these bad driving behaviors almost everyday. Heck, I even have family members who choose them. Drivers forget that fines, demerit points or loss of license aren’t the actual consequences they need to worry about! That’s insignificant compared with the real consequences of their behavior which might end up costing someone their life.

So next time you’re driving and hear your mobile phone ring, jump into the driver’s seat after too many drinks or just after that smoke you had, stop and think about the real consequences. Watch your speed, take a break when you’re tired and try to make our roads a safer place. By having no Police in sight you run an even greater risk of serious consequences and the chance of getting away with it!

Image via http://kylelawfirm.com/assets/distracted-women-driving.jpg

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